Credit Card Fraud: Four members of ‘int’l gang’ held

Cyber police teams of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have arrested 22 alleged frauds including 16 Nigerian nationals, in connection with two fraudulent activities.

Four of the arrestees are members of an international gang who have been using international credit cards of foreigners to purchase different items in Bangladesh from various online shopping sites, officials said.

"This is for the first time we have got hold of such a fraud gang in Bangladesh that has members in different countries," CID's Deputy Inspector General Shah Alam told The Daily Star yesterday.

"Our investigation reveals that the arrested gang members have so far used over 100 international credit cards of different foreign countries like Brazil and Germany. In some cases they were not successful," CID's Additional Special Superintendent Kamrul Ahsan said.

He said through their members abroad, the frauds received PIN and other necessary information of the cards and used many of those for online shopping in Bangladesh. 

"We are still investigating how they managed the PIN and other confidential information of those international credit cards," he said.

As the card holders received message that their cards were used in purchasing items from a Bangladeshi online grocery and food products provider, they informed the shopping site, which lodged a compliant with police, he added.

DIG Shah Alam said they started an investigation receiving a complaint from the well-known product delivery service, and arrested the four fraudsters from Mirpur and Mohammadpur on July 6.

They are: Mizanur Rahman (22), Rehanur Hasan Rashed (20), Anwar Parvez (22),  and Al-Amin (22).

Three of them were involved in credit card forgery while one used to receive different items, CID said.

All four were either college or university-educated and had expertise in IT. One of them even worked in a government IT project, CID said.

Police seized two laptops, eight phones, a computer hard drive, 16 cards of different banks, 26 boxes for keeping gold ornaments and Tk 1.68 lakh in cash.

Following the arrests, a case was filed against them with Banani Police Station under Digital Security Act.

The four also made confessional statements before a Dhaka court admitting their involvement in the crime.

Nigerian nationals held for fraud

Eighteen people, including 16 Nigerian nationals, were arrested in the capital's Pallabi area on charges of attempting to grab a huge amount of money from a Facebook friend, CID disclosed in a press release yesterday.

They became Facebook friends with a Bangladeshi citizen and offered to send expensive gifts free of cost through parcel. Then one of their gang members pretended to be a customs official and asked for Tk 45,000 to release the package.

As the victim paid the money, the imposter then asked for Tk 2.5 lakh to release the parcel.

He also threatened that if the money is not sent, the victim will face a case under Customs Act and Money Laundering Act as the package contained foreign currency, CID said.

As the victim informed the matter to the cyber police team of CID, they launched an investigation and arrested the 18 alleged fraud gang members, said DIG Shah Alam.

The arrestees are Imran Hossain, Harunur Rashed, Nigerian nationals Chimezie Oyema, Agina Chukwujekwu, Chimaobi  Attah Gabrial, Kenechuku Stanley, Okeke Celestine Abuchi, Uzoegbo Samuel Ekene, Ufochukwu Tochukwu  Uchenna, Obuka Sunday Emmanuel, Ndommadu Chineda, Enugwulike Anthony Okwudiri, Chibuife Ezeonyi Obinwanne,  Ugochukwu Darlington Chikelu, Kenechukwu Charles Onwuachu, Ozo Rmgbo Henry Ejike, Chibuzor Nwaneti Victor and Anoruka Ginika Francis.

Police recovered Tk. 7.22 lakh, 29,000 Nigerian currency, and a huge quantity of garments products.